Bayview residents given chance to weigh in on planning decisions

Community members in the Bayview District would be able to weigh in on proposed development projects before they go to the city for consideration under a law authored by Supervisor Malia Cohen and approved by the Board of Supervisors Tuesday.

The legislation would create a 12-member citizens advisory committee charged with reviewing development proposals and making recommendations to both the planning department and board. The two-year appointments would be split among the mayor, District 10 supervisor and city administrator.

If the legislation is signed by Mayor Ed Lee, projects such as Home Depot’s proposed new store on the corner of Cesar Chavez Street and Evans Avenue would be scrutinized by the committee before it went to the Planning Department for approval.

“It’s critical that Bayview residents have a voice in land use decisions happening in the neighborhood,” Cohen said. “There’s a lot happening in the area — it’s mind-blowing the amount of proposals that are coming down the pike. The goal is for community residents to have an opportunity to shape projects that are going to have a huge impact on the neighborhood they live in.”

Cohen said the change is necessary because there’s no formal process for community input since the city was forced to dissolved its Redevelopment Agency last year.

“When the Redevelopment Agency was dissolved, it left a void for the public to comment on land use decisions and projects,” Cohen said. “This is so decisions aren’t made in a vacuum.”